REVIEWS OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL
Alan Jay Schwartz, M.D., M.S.Ed., Editor
Applied Anatomy for Anaesthesia and Intensive
Care. Edited by Andy Georgiou, F.R.C.A., D.I.C.M.,
E.D.I.C., F.F.I.C.M., Chris Thompson, F.R.C.A.,
E.D.R.A., James Nickels, F.R.C.A. Cambridge, United
Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pages:
195. Price: $105.
The fundamental challenge—and, conversely, the inher-
ent joy—of anesthesiology flows from its multidisciplinary
nature. Every day, we are called upon to synthesize the basic
sciences of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology and
apply them to our patients, whose every organ system—
yes, even those beyond the immediate focus of our surgi-
cal colleagues—will be affected by our decisions. Although
we must study and have access to texts dedicated to highly
specific components of our practice, it can also be helpful
to have a more general guidebook that ties multiple aspects
together and provides a sense of the forest for the trees. A
welcome addition to the latter group is the recently released
Applied Anatomy for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care.
As the title implies, this book provides an overview of
basic anatomy and covers a panoply of procedural interven-
tions based on this knowledge. Regional neuraxial blocks
receive top billing, but also included are a wide range of
central neuraxial techniques, venous cannulation sites, and
even a few surgical maneuvers, such as cricothyroidotomy.
The chapters are arranged geographically, in the manner of
a basic medical school anatomy course; in order, the authors
cover the spine, head, neck, thorax, upper limb, abdomen,
and lower limb—the final chapter is a brief overview of fetal
circulation that, while interesting, does not feel integral to
the material. Of greater utility are the summary of antico-
agulation guidelines and general overview of the nervous
system presented at the outset, both of which provide an
excellent framework for understanding and employing the
rest of the text.
Within each section, the authors present an overview
of the major anatomical structures—skeletal, vascular, and
neural—as well as a light treatment of relevant physiology.
Although the illustrations are not always of the same breath-
taking quality as those found in an old hard copy of Net-
ter, they are lucidly displayed and color coded, with a clear
goal of comprehension and utility—the use of an outline of
Queen Elizabeth as a model for cutaneous distribution of the
trigeminal nerve is particularly inspired. The procedures are
each individually presented in discrete boxes, with a standard
description of indications, contraindications, and the differ-
ent approaches and techniques employed.
It is this last feature that makes this book particularly
commendable. Without being either verbose or terse, the
procedural sections show how ultrasound-guided and
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landmark techniques can be separately successful while also
showing how they support one another. Particularly at this
moment in time—when a generation of attendings primar-
ily schooled in landmark technique is supervising a group
of residents almost exclusively trained in ultrasound—a
resource that succinctly compares and unifies these schools is
immensely valuable.
Of course, the downside of brevity is that some valu-
able material will inevitably miss the cut. Of note, there
is essentially no discussion of the evidence behind differ-
ent approaches of the same procedures; the reader is left
to wonder, for example, whether one of the four landmark
approaches to the sciatic nerve—Labat, Mansour, Raj, and
Beck—has been shown to be more efficacious, or whether it
is simply dependent upon the provider. Likewise, there is no
mention of what medications and doses are most commonly
employed for various blocks. One could say that these are
beyond the scope of this work, but it would nonetheless be
helpful to the novice to get at least get a rough sense of these
issues. Finally, it would be helpful to have a separate index
specifically for the procedures themselves, as this might help
the anesthesiologist seeking to quickly refresh their memory
on a given intervention.
In their introduction, the authors state their desire to cre-
ate a book for both “reference and core knowledge” as well
as for readers to “revise and develop their procedural skills.”
I am happy to report that they succeed on both counts.
Whether you are a new resident trying to learn about how to
apply your anatomical knowledge to different procedures, a
seasoned attending looking to review the underpinnings of
your everyday practice, or someone on either side of the gen-
erational gap, eager to understand the philosophy in which
the other side was trained, Applied Anatomy for Anaesthesia
and Intensive Care is well worth your time.
Douglas Hale McMichael, M.D., Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. douglas.
mcmichael@northwestern.edu
(Accepted for publication April 20, 2016.)
Pediatric Anesthesiology: A Comprehensive
Board Review. Edited by Kai Matthes, M.D., Ph.D.,
Anjolie E. Laubach, M.D., Ellen Wang, M.D.,
T. Anthony Anderson, Ph.D., M.D. New York, Oxford
University Press, 2015. Pages: 443. Price: $125.00.
Since the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA)
announced the subspecialty certification exam in pediatrics
in 2013, board-eligible attending physicians and trainees
have been scrambling to find a comprehensive question–
based study aid. While many review courses and study
outlines are available, often at a hefty price, few have had
Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
on 11/25/2018